COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEWS : What Moorpark Lacks in Size, It Makes Up in Quickness

In the 20 years since Al Nordquist became basketball coach at Moorpark College, many of his colleagues have come and gone.

Denny Crum used a coaching job at Pierce as a springboard for a career that wound through UCLA to Louisville, where he has won two national championships. Jerry Tarkanian left Pasadena City for regular appearances in the NCAA Tournament with Cal State Long Beach and Nevada Las Vegas.

Even assistant coaches have moved on. Lute Olsen was passed over as an assistant on Nordquist’s first staff. Olsen rebounded nicely, landing at Arizona after several Division I stops.

Nordquist, however, has no such aspirations. He says he is content in Moorpark, where he can spend more time coaching and less time recruiting.

“A lot of my contemporaries have done well at four-year schools,” Nordquist said. “There are a lot of good coaches at Southern California junior colleges. Maybe not some of the best recruiters, but some of the best coaches--and it’s important to make that distinction.

“I’ve been coaching for 28 years, and the last 20 have been here. I’m happy where I am. My family enjoys living here, and it’s a nice situation. I’m not sure some of the other things involved in coaching at a four-year school are what I want.”

So he remains at Moorpark, where his longevity is matched only by his consistency. His teams have advanced to the state regional playoffs 10 of the last 12 years.

“Our goals are to win the conference and make the state playoffs,” he said.

Those lofty preseason goals come in spite of the loss of four players from a 16-12 team to four-year programs. Gone are All-Western State Conference guards Dan Camp and Dan Berryman, assist leader Steve Abraham and 6-8 Darrin Channels.

In addition, the WSC shapes up as one of the better conferences in the state. Santa Monica, Canyons and Glendale are expected be dominant teams.

“It’s very possible that four or five teams in our conference could be in the top 20 in the state,” Nordquist said.

Only two, however, are guaranteed regional playoff berths. And Nordquist thinks Moorpark can win one.

“I like the challenge of being in our conference,” he said. “I may sound more optimistic than normal, but I’m anxious to find out where we are.”

Sophomore Geraud Moncure will start at point guard, where his backup will be freshman Todd Johnson.

Johnson filled Moncure’s playmaker duties at Simi Valley High, as he will at Moorpark next season.

Marlin Adams, a 6-1 guard from Oakland who is one of only two players on Moorpark’s 16-man roster from outside the Valley area, is a gift for Nordquist. Adams, one of 10 freshmen, was bound for San Jose State before learning he didn’t meet the NCAA’s new academic standards.

Andy Jercha, a sophomore who led Pierce in scoring last season, will start at forward with Jim Edwards, a transfer from Azusa Pacific who played in high school at Village Christian.

The center will be Dave Inemer, a 6-6 sophomore from Granada Hills who illustrates Moorpark’s most obvious weakness.

“We don’t have a lot of size,” Nordquist said. “But we do have good depth.”

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS

Coach Lee Smelser lost his top two players from a team that went 20-10 and to the regional playoffs last year, but he may have even more weapons this year.

His dilemma--how to use them.

“We have more options this year, but I think we have to settle into a groove,” Smelser said. “We hope to have that ironed out by January.”

Canyons could have a dominant front line in 6-10 center Mitch McMullen, a transfer from Point Loma Nazarene who played at Hart High, and returning starters Anthony Hines (6-8) and Ron Stapp (6-5).

“Last year, we relied on our quickness and the outside shot more,” Smelser said. “This year, we’re going to try to move the ball around and get it inside, where we feel we have some good players.”

Smelser hopes to see results before Canyons begins a rugged WSC schedule.

“We feel we’ll be able to compete in the conference, but we know we’ll have to go out every night and prove it,” he said. “If we make it, we should be prepared for the playoffs because we’re going to be seeing that type of competition day in and day out.”

VALLEY

Coach Virgil Watson is being tested early. He has lost three front court players for the season to injury, and Valley (0-3) hasn’t even played a home game yet.

“Suddenly, we’re a much smaller team,” Watson said. “But we have to learn to play without those people.”

In addition, Valley has had four other players out at various times with minor injuries.

Left are a nucleus of John Windham, Clyde Fontenette and Mike Hobbs to go with a promising freshman, Ron Patterson. Nine of Valley’s players are freshmen.

Watson has been forced to play his freshmen more than he anticipated at the start.

“I have guys who can play, but we’re behind because of injuries,” Watson said. “Our freshmen have done a good job, but I would have liked to go more with experienced players because I don’t want the young guys getting down when they go up against some of the teams we’re playing.”

Watson remains optimistic.

“Our goal is still to make the playoffs, and we are improving by playing some good teams in the preseason,” he said.